What is Mindfulness?

The practice of mindfulness is an important tool for awakening that is included in the Eightfold Path, from Buddha's first teaching. The word mindfulness is the translation for "Sati" in Pali. However, sometimes translations can mislead us from the original intent. For instance, when I first heard about mindfulness and started to try to practice it, it felt more like I was monitoring—mindfulness seemed to take on a sense of judging, comparing: “Am I doing it right?”, "I wish I wasn't having negative thoughts!" "Is everyone else doing it better than me?", etc. But Pema Chodron prefers the translation of Sati as “compassionate attention", where we are applying attention to our thoughts and emotions and feelings, but also having a kind attitude towards ourselves and others. Compassionate attention seems to better describe the gentleness we need to have with ourselves and others in order to stay present. Sometimes, the judgment that arises when we realize what we are really thinking or feeling can cause us to shut down, to deny, to ignore, and yet recognizing when we are shutting down is also a vital part of the process. So, the good news is that we can't get it wrong, as long as we keep trying.

Whether shutting down or opening up, we can see more clearly how we are interacting with ourselves and the world around us. We can recognize that we can choose to live compassionately and with great joy, regardless of our past, regardless of anything happening in our lives right now, regardless of what we think the future will bring. We can choose using compassionate attention.